Tips for a Good and Restful Night Sleep!
For several hours before bedtime avoid:
- Caffeine, Alcohol, Nicotine, and Other Chemicals that Interfere with Sleep.
- Additionally: avoid taking sleeping pills as they artificially interfere with the natural sleep cycle.
Turn Your Bedroom into a Sleep-Inducing Environment
A quiet, dark, and cool environment can help promote sound sleep. Lower the volume of outside noise with earplugs. Use heavy curtains, blackout shades, or an eye mask to block light.
Keep the temperature comfortably cool—between 15° and 24°C—and the room well ventilated. And make sure your bedroom is equipped with a comfortable mattress and pillows.
Establish a Soothing Pre-Sleep Routine
Light reading before bed is a good way to prepare yourself for sleep.
Ease the transition from wake time to sleep time with a period of relaxing activities an hour or so before bed. Take a bath (the rise, then fall in body temperature promotes drowsiness), read a book, or practice relaxation exercises. Avoid stressful, stimulating activities—doing work, discussing emotional issues.
Go to Sleep When You’re Truly Tired
As humans, we have a natural sleep cycle that runs from 90 to 120 minutes. Become aware of your personal cycle. You will find times when you are fully awake and after some time you feel drowsy and want to fall asleep. To monitor the cycle, it is a good idea to keep a graph and fill it in every half an hour. When you have done this for a week or two, you will no longer need to monitor as you will know at any given time where you are in the cycle. Once you understand your cycle, you will know exactly when to go to bed and when to get up in the morning, when to rest and when to do an activity.
Struggling to fall sleep just leads to frustration
If you’re not asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed, go to another room, and do something relaxing, like reading or listening to music until you are tired enough to sleep. And if you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to sleep in about 20 minutes, get up and engage in a quiet, restful activity such as reading or listening to music. And keep the lights dim; bright light can stimulate your internal clock. When your eyelids are drooping, and you are ready to sleep, return to bed.
Keep Your Internal Clock Set with a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Having a regular sleep schedule helps to ensure better quality and consistent sleep. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day sets the body’s “internal clock” to expect sleep at a certain time night after night. Try to stick as closely as possible to your routine on weekends to avoid a Monday morning sleep hangover.
Nap Early—Or Not at All
Late naps decrease sleep drive. If you take a nap, it’s better to keep it short and before 5 p.m.
Lighten Up on Evening Meals
Finish dinner several hours before bedtime and avoid foods that cause indigestion. If you get hungry at night, snack on light foods.
Balance Fluid Intake
Drink enough fluid at night to keep from waking up thirsty—but not so much and so close to bedtime that you will be awakened by the need for a trip to the bathroom.
Exercise Early
Exercise helps promote restful sleep if it is done several hours before you go to bed, or earlier in the day.